I've still been around, quietly moving behind the scenes
I'm planning on switching up the exercises every loading phase for the reasons you said...for now this set of exercises still does it for me
and I'll definitely be using your idea for supersetting arms, it will save a shitload if time IMO, good suggestion bro.
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Originally Posted by 0311
Damn bro! Don't SD before your 5x5. The only thing I'd SD for would strictly be HST because of being so far away from your RM. The beauty of the 5x5 is that you can undershoot slightly for a few weeks, then continue progression, oftentimes past where you left off..And especially after DFHT phases which IMO compliment each other..
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The SD was because I was moving back to school and wouldn't have any place to workout....It was technically just time off that happened to start when my DFHT ended. I just called it SD because it was zero gym time and I couldnt think of anything else to call it hahahaha. Sorry for the miscommunication.
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Originally Posted by 0311
If you were doing single factor 5x5, what was your reason for a 2 week deload? Just didn't have any personal time for the gym? Or did you feel you really needed a prolonged break? If you're really at the limit busting your ass on your final week of 5x5, then I can definately see a deload just to get your sanity back. In regards to your 5 RM, you could've just had a bad day (diet, sleep, ect). .
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The 2 week deload was because I didn't have the time to do DFHT and I was pretty smoked from the 5x5, so I wanted to just fart around and do something that I could fit into my schedule.
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Originally Posted by 0311
My advice is to reset your DFHT and go for a flat bench of 5 x 5 or even 3 x 3. That's really the goal of the program IMO. After a few weeks of doing that rep range, you can definately shoot for a new 1, 3, or 5 RM. I remember Reynold's recommendations said, "or the occational 5 RM, or even 1 RM". To me, that means just doing the 5 x 5 for a few weeks, and if by chance one day you walk into the gym feeling high and mighty, fucking ride it out and try for a new RM..
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I was thinking about turning the 5RM into a 5x5, 3x5, 3x3, or a 5x5 with a close progression, something like 180, 185, 190, 195, 200 for example. For some reason adding that extra 5lbs on after a set clears my head, but like you said, depending on how I'm feeling I could do any of those options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 0311
Too much deloading IMO. It IS dependant on individual recovery, but unless you're benching 350, squatting 400, and deadlifting 500 week in and week out on TOP of all that volume, you really don't need all those deloads, nor a short loading phase for that matter. Most average lifters with average recovery IMO could probably push 4 weeks of loading easy before needing a deload. I think Matt was covering his ass in his article by saying to always start off with 1-2 loading, then deload to see how you feel. There's really no telling how many newbs were reading that article who have no idea how to tell if they're overreaching or not.
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I think its alot of deloading too, but I threw it in just in case I need it kinda thing. If I come to the end of my "planned" loading phase and still have a shitload of gas in the tank, I'll keep going. The other thing I was thinking too was that I have 6-10 weeks of loading from my makeshift schedule, and since the intensity is going to go up fairly quickly, if I add 5lbs to an exercise every week....thats 30-50lbs of progression. Taking bench for example, would mean that 185 for week 1 means 235 for week 10....that was my thinking behind the short loading phases. Blast the shit out of myself, deload to regroup my forces, blast, regroup, blast etc., thinking that I would have a better shot at hitting my progressions consistently.
As always I appreciate the input Big Guy...I'll be sure to pick your brain as I get further into the loading phases
